Saturday is a busy day and I just don’t have the time to go to a restaurant or back home.
No problem at all as the Shizuoka City JR Station is quite near!
As I knew that the new seasonal Summer Ekiben called Natsu Chisen/夏千扇/”The Thousand Fans of Summer” was on sale it was a good occasion to sample it!

Like the Spring edition, the box is longer than usual and beautiful and served with chopsticks and toothpick!

At 1,000 yen, it is not so cheap, but it is fresh and fast! And it is local food!

As usual the contents are clearly indicated by Tokaiken Co. Ltd.

A piece of hard transparent paper protects the contents.

Now, what do we have here?

Ume Chirime Han/梅ちりめん飯/steamed rice mixed with bits of umeboshi/pickled Japanese plum and fried shirasu/sardine whiting also called chirimenjyako!

Katsuo Ryuuta Age/鰹竜田揚/Deep-fried bonito which had been previously coated with cornstarch.
Salad of rice-vinegar-pickled cucumber, wakame seaweed and thin rice noodles.
Orange wedges.

Nikudango/肉団子/Meat ball in sweet and sour sauce.
Tamagoyaki/卵焼き/Japanese omelette (quite sweet!)
Salad of cooked beansprouts and senmai/せんまい/ a kind of wild mountain vegetable.

Yuba Hirouusu/湯葉ひろうす/Tofu ball containing vegetables.
Boiled stringbean and carrot, konnyaku/elephant’s foot tuber jelly, and simmered tougan/冬瓜/Winter melon in the shape of a leaf!

Lettuce around broiled aji/鯵/Horse mackerel and soy sauce mini bottle.
nasu/茄子/eggplant (aubergine), in this case mini-eggplant grilled, peeled and served with grated ginger!
The little green cube is matcha jelly!

Very satisfying and delicious. A real summer ekiben in spite of the name “Winter melon”!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

With a Glass,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK); Ohayo Bento

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery